Chapter 65: The Gates Awaken

The earth trembled beneath their feet, sending cracks racing across the valley floor. Dust and debris rained down as the celestial inscriptions on the massive gates shimmered with an eerie blue glow. Li Feng barely had time to process what was happening before the ground gave way beneath them.

"Move!" Yan Shun's shout cut through the chaos.

The group sprinted forward, leaping over widening fissures as the valley collapsed behind them. The moment Li Feng crossed the threshold of the Abyss, an invisible force yanked him forward, pulling him through the ancient gateway. He barely managed to twist in time to see Mei Lian, Zheng Wei, and Yan Shun behind him before they were swallowed by the darkness.

The suffocating weight of arcane energy pressed against Li Feng's chest. It was as if the air itself was alive, thick with whispers that slithered through the darkness like unseen phantoms. A dim, cold light illuminated the abyss, flickering along the jagged walls of what appeared to be an ancient underground city.

Li Feng steadied himself, scanning his surroundings. Strange, shadowy figures lurked at the edges of his vision, flickering in and out of sight. Some seemed to move with an unnatural grace, while others shuddered in place, like remnants of a long-lost past.

Zheng Wei coughed, wincing as he pressed a hand to his still-healing wound. "I can barely breathe in here. The energy in this place… it's alive."

Yan Shun kept his blade at the ready, his stance rigid. "Not alive," he murmured. "Hungry."

Mei Lian clutched the Celestial Mirror, her grip tight. "We shouldn't linger. We don't know what—"

A slow, deliberate sound echoed through the ruins. Footsteps.

Li Feng turned sharply, his body tensing. A lone figure emerged from the mist of shadows. At first, it was just an outline, but then the form solidified.

Shen Longwei.

The warlord's crimson cloak trailed behind him like a river of blood. His golden eyes locked onto Li Feng's, a knowing smirk curling at the edges of his lips. His forces moved behind him, their presence like a gathering storm, filling the abyssal chamber.

Li Feng clenched his fists, his pulse hammering. He had known this moment would come.

Shen Longwei tilted his head slightly, his voice echoing through the abyss. "Fate is persistent, isn't it, Li Feng?"

Yan Shun's grip tightened on his sword. "We should strike now before he—"

The entire chamber shuddered violently. The celestial inscriptions on the walls erupted in a blinding glow, and the very structure of the abyss began to shift.

A deep, resonant voice filled the cavern.

"The first trial has begun."

A massive stone barrier shot up between Li Feng's group and Shen Longwei's, separating them instantly. At the same time, the ground beneath them shifted, walls forming out of nowhere, turning the abyss into a labyrinth.

Li Feng took a sharp breath, his body going rigid as he realized what had just happened.

The abyss wasn't just a tomb—it was a test. And now, it had sealed them inside its deadly domain.

The celestial glow pulsed violently, and the shadows began to move—not just at the edges of their vision but right in front of them. The first trial had begun, and they were now trapped in a place that didn't obey the laws of the living world.